Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-07-02

the Mexican boundary and not even there
1t is the absence of. hyperborean winds,
and the constant pre- sence of the tempered
winds from the he lted ocean current, both
together, that CIV es us winterless climate,
While our neigh 0ors beyond the Sierra Ne
vada are shlve ing through six months of
winter.
PRO OF OF THE STATEMENT.
The bes t proof of the truth of this
theory Is found along the railroad where it
crosses ne mountain barrier. Auburn is
on tiIe western side of the Sierra Nevada,
ana L llckee is on the eastern side, and the
Two places are only SO miles apart
Iru ekee is shut off from the influences of
the temperate winds from the ocean cur
re ut, and is exposed to the sweeping Arctic
rhasts, and the result is that the earth is
deeply Frozen there are great falls of snow,
4 and the ice is two feet in thickness
1 Auburn on the other hand is completely
| protected from the Arctic winds by the
great mountain barrier, and feels the con-
tinued influence of the tempered winds
from the heated current in the ocean, and
the result in her case is that she has no
snow, no ice and no cold winds. Orange,
| lemon and pomegranate trees grow to per-
fection al around her, and delicate and
sensitive plants live and bloom in the
open air all the winter long.
THE RAINFALL.
The rainfall in Placer county varies re-
mariably, according to the altitude of the
locality. At Rocklin, almost at the foot
of the mountains, the annual average rain
fall is % inches. At Auburn, l 100 feet
higher, it is 80 inches, and at Colfax, an
other thousand feet higher, it is 40 inches.
This rainfall, with the facilities for irriga-
| ton, is a perpetual guarantee of ample
crops to the husbandman. The most of
this rain falls from November to May.
october and May often have small rain
fall, but the greater quantity of precipita-
ton is between months.
There Is no season IN which there is g
steady downpour of rain as in some coun-
tries. What is known as the rainy sea-
son is one IN which, for the most part,
showers and sunshine alternate much as
they do in New England and the Middle
through October, usually there is q success
sion of clea-, cloudless days. without rain
fall.
ONLY TWO SEASONS.
1t is misnomer to call any part of our
seasons in the valleys or in the foothills by
the name of winter. In fact, in those re-
gioas there are only two seasons
S ring and autumn. Moisture makes
spring and its absence produces au-
tumn. With ample water for irri-
CATION, the valley or foothiIl settler can
have perpetual spring. With moisture,
vegetables grow ten months in the ear
and flowers bloom, the year around The
results of such a climate are remarkable.
and in marked contrast to the Eastern
States, where winter occupies six of the
twelve months, and the spring is thereby
robbed of one-half of her days. In all
the country east of the Sierras the straw
| berry season at the most is only two
months long. In Placer county, and in
most other parts of the State, strawberries
are to be had ten months in the year.
COMPARISON OF FRUIT SEASONS.
There in the East the season for all fruits
is equally short. Here there are localities
where the early varieties OF peaches are in
market in May, and the late varieties last
till the end of November. In the matter of
vegetables the same contrast exists. Dur
ing ten months in the year, and in favored
localities eleven months. the gardener can
| have fresh vegetables maturing and ready
for the market 1t is not believed that
there is any other locality in the United
States where this can be done. The advan-
vantages of this exceptionable climatic
! condition is that our fruits and vegetables
mature and are sent to ALT the Eastern mar
| kets before sprlng-time has swelled the
| fruit buds or brought up other vegetation.
All the spring and summer months
we send our fruits East, and from
October to June we are shipping great
quantities of vegetables TO all parts of
the East. From our valleys and foot
hills, for several months, vegetables
| go to the semi-tropical regions of the Gulf
We send carload lots to New Orleans, Gal
weston and other distributing points in
these cotton regions. From California car
| load and even trainload lots of vegetables
| go to all the great distributing centers of
the trans-Missouri country, and beyond
that rs far East as Cleveland and Cincinnati
for several months in the year.
LENGTH OF PLACERs SHIPPING SEASON.
The time is rapidly coming when the
farmer in Placer county will commence
| shipping his cherries in April. and follow
| ing those by strawberries. raspberries,
| blackberries and other small fruits, then
| apricots and peaches in May and June. and
other deciduous fruits early and late as they
mature, till November, when ,.e will send
| forward vegetables through the winter
! months, till his cherries and small fruits
come in again. The whole year will be
| filled and occupied in the production and
| shipment of those products, possible and
profitable here and impossible in other
parts of the country, inhabited now by
| 60,000,000 people, and in the near future to
| be the homes of more than twice that num-
Der.
HISTORY OF EARLY SETTLEMENT.
In the earliest days OF the American
trappers and explorers west of the Rocky
Mountains, some of those adventurous men
visited the country now forming Placer
county. There is little doubt that Colonel
Boonville passed through portion OF
the county on his way from the Humboldt
| to the Sacramento in the years from 1882
to 1885. That old trapper and frontiers
man, Stephen H. Week, trapped on the
Truekee river and the banks of Lake Tahoe
in 1888. General Fremont, in his expedi
! ton to the coast in 1913 4, passed from he
! TrucBee river through the whole of the
eastern part of the county. Following
close upon the heels Of the explorers came
| the gold-hunters. In 1913 the main trib-
utaries Of the American were prospected
| for gold. In August of that year party
! with which were Thomas NJ. Buckuer and
J. d. Hoppe, went to Birds valley and
| successfully worked the placers there for
! gold. From that time through the SOS
there was constant stream of gold hunters
coming in and working the rich placers of
the county, and rs constant a stream of the
! precious metals going out to enrich the
| world. All the ravines, valleys, CANYONS
/ dAiN S,Oi vi CCuiltJ hClt diANG Win
| these busy and adventurous workers Towns
and villages sprang into existence as by
magic, and such scenes were presented as
! the world had never before witnessed, and
| probably never will again witness. These
rich placers yielded untold sums, which
started the tireless wheels of many indus
tries, built up towns and cities in far of
countries, and covered the worlds waters
with the white sails of great commerce
They did more than all this; they ct
tracted to the shores of the Pacific coast
the most daring and adventurous popula-
ton of the world, hardy and industrious
men and women, who not only brought
stout arms and brave hearts, but civilization
with them and planted it here
After their mining careers, many e99
o them engaged in other pursuits fN
and es hlishe1 agriculture, trade, -Sl2N
commerce, manufactures, and a VI
everything of the highest civiliza- N A%1y
tion of earth. I'M III
EARLY HISTORY OF AGRICULTURE. =
When the miners first came to frssshss
this coast it was one vast pasture. " $EsE
The Spanish settlers were, with the +TN,Sss
exception of the Franciscan and
Jesuit Fathers around their mis- fss
sions graZiers and lived from fhe seTS-<